Lord Ashfield holds that
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"Freak" Passenger Vehicles Are Not Vanted
IT is a truism that the successful operation of road-transport undertakings depends in large measure upon the instruments of transport employed; they must be efficient and reliable, and—what in these days is almost of paramount importance, at least, so far as passenger vehicles are concerned—they must be as attractive to the public as the car.
The vehicles which are displayed at the Commercial Motor Show this year provide impressive evidence of the high standards of skill and workmanship obtaining in the industry. The progressive spirit is evident. Technical skill and ingenuity flourish, and, as should be the case with everything we use, asthetic considerations in design are prominent.
The modern commercial motor reflects the greatest possible credit to all who have contributed to its evolution. Road-transport operators are under a great obligation to them, and I personally welcome this• opportunity to acknowledge this debt. We have now at our disposal an instrument' which is efficient, reliable and attractive.
Formidable Competition . . .
The attributes of economy and attractiveness are of special importance in connection with the passenger vehicle. All passenger-transport undertakings are faced with an unregulated and increasingly formidable competitor in the form of the privately owned car. The number of private cars in use in Great Britain in September, 1936, was about 1,643,000—an increase of about 170,000 over the 1935 figure.
There can be no doubt that in the present year this rate of increase in the number of cars in use has at least been maintained, and that at the present time we must be approaching the 1,25,o00 mark. Nor must the bicycle be overlooked as a rival.
Competition on this scale can be met successfully by public transport undertakings only if the proper measure of service be given with vehicles, the amenities of which bear comparison with those of the motorcar, and the initial and running costs of which are such as to permit of operation at rates that will attract a satisfactory volume of traffic.
Increasing luxury, vastly improved performance and constant change in general design have been the outstanding features of the private car in recent years, and so far they have been matched in the commercial passenger vehicle. It is well, however, to recognize, so far as design and luxury are concerned, the desirability of imposing certain limits to this pro' cess, for major changes in these directions inevitably have the effect of prejudicing existing rolling stock in the eyes of the public and thus adding to the burden which falls upon the operator from obsolescence.
Obsolescence has, in the past, _ been a factor of considerable importance in the economics of road transport. In the post-war years it has represented a heavy charge on earnings. It will never be possible to eliminate it entirely, but it is to be hoped that its incidence will be lighter and more evenly spread. Through legislative enactments, the passedger side of the industry has become the subject of regulation and control; the hectic days of great expansion are over and an era of relative stability has been reached. This stability in operation should, I venture to suggest, be reflected in a measure of stability in the vehicle employed.
I am not for a moment suggesting that the progressive and eager spirit which has dominated the manufacturing side of the industry in the past, and is manifest to-day, should abate one jot, for such a proposal would mean atrophy. Rather should it be directed towards the perfection of what we already have, to the Securing of greater mechanical efficiency and economy in operation, and not towards the evolution of new or advanced vehicle designs, the real practical advantage of which is problematical.
. . . Seeking Perfection
Even with the high standard of construction which has been reached, perfection has not yet been achieved; there is still outstanding a number of problems to which the engineer and designer should address themselves. I would mention only the following as examples of what I have in mind : —The further development and improvement of the compressionignition engine, the reduction of noise, the elimination of the human factor in gear changing, the improvement of vehicle suspension with a view to enhancing riding qualities, better ventilation, and the perfection of lightidg and seating.
Each of these matters is of moment and can be dealt with without radical change in the general design of the vehicle. • It is in these directions that I am sure the great majority of passenger-transport operators desires to see further progress made.